BOOKS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 7783, 29 January 1887, Page 5 (Supplement)

BOOKS.

Poems. By F. Felix M'Cahthy. J. Wilkie

and Co., Dunediu,

This modest little book has at least two of the essential virtues of a volume of poems—it is instructive and entertaining. True, the instruction, with some part of the entertainment, is to be found in the preface, which is written in prose; but it is all part of the volume. The preface

instructs us how to write a preface; not by the didactic and wearisome enforcement of rules aud precepts, but by presenting a praiseworthy example of the thing itself. A preface to a volume of poems may be described as a few sentences or pages of prose, inviting criticism, and giving excellent reasons why no critic should respond to the invitation. The value of a preface is to be judged by the cogency of its reasons, and, measured by this, Mr M'Carthy"6 preface will do. First of all, though he has written a volume of "j>oems" Mr McCarthy disclaims the name of " poet," not as implying any contempt for such name, but because, as he modestly confesses, " he has not studied tho art of poetry and has not mastered I its many laws." At present Mr M'Carthy is content to be called a rhymster—not a rhym«>but a rhymrfcr. Mr M'Carthy no doubt understands the full significance of the suffix as it ossurs in such words as rhymster, punster, &c. A rhymster is one who makes bad rhymes, such, for instance, as we find in a recent poem called "All the World's a Stage"—where we find such lines as—

Ominous sounds upon the winds are bornt. Betokening the fasti approaching storm.

Jehovah's earthly temple enter now, There offer up your prayers, and pay your votes,

'I'ho downward road Thnt leads to death. 'Tis here that poverty Doth fiud its fountain-head: aud misery.

—and where "err" rhymes with " for," " come)" with "son," "done" with "overcome," and

" horizon " with " morn." These rhymes are certainly very bad : but Mr M'Carthy is not afraid of " sound, honest, criticism." All he asks is that consideration which he thinks is due toone who presents his compositions to the public just as they were written — rough and unvarnished. For the most part the pieces are printed here exactly as they were first composed ; and, moreover, some of them were " written, at a very early period of his existence." We have emphasised with italics the most powerful claims for consideration put forward by the author of these " poems." Since Mr M'Carthy has been iv such haste to gratify the public by publishing his " poems" before he has taken the trouble to study the art of poetry or master its many laws; since he has been slovenly enough to give us his compositions rough-hewn " just as they were written," " exactly as they were first composed," without the least smear of varnish; since, moreover, we are favoured with a few things written by Mr M'Carthy " at a very early period of his existence ": for these various reasons we abstain from criticising Mr M'Carthy's "poems." We shall wait till Mr M'Carthy has studied the art of poetry, snd mastered a few of its laws, and possessed himself of a pot of varnish, though we do not ourselves see anything in the volume of " poems " much abpve the level of St. Paul's Young Men's Association, and would not encourage the author to pay court to the muses with anything more expensive than manuscript. Yet to show that all critics are not o? our opinion, we append a few lines addressed to Mr M'Carthy by a brother rhymer:—

I£ " but the laurels of the passing hour " Be mutable and perish in their flower; Shall not sweet memory, with fervour keen, Preserve them ever as an evergreen ? And so, M'Carthy, in the future times, These clever, graceful, and harmoniouß linea, In tuneful eloq«encelwill thee remind Of critics, who, unanimous combined, To crown thee with the laurela fairly won By J'Allthe World's a Stage" and cry "Well Done!"